Hands Off!
by afro-hime
Summary: Sango's never met a man like the attractive, but overly 'friendly' host Miroku. Miroku's never had a client that he failed to seduce before Sango. Now they just can't get off each other's minds.
1. Chapter 1

Hands Off!

'Rose Street' was named such because of the hazy pink and red lights that lit up the road at night. It was a festival of debauchery every evening. Women would stumble out of bars piss-drunk, arm in arm, giggling like schoolgirls. Men could be seen looking over their shoulders and adjusting their clothes as they exited the 'massage parlors'. It was a place for people with money to blow it all on hedonistic delights.

It was 7PM on a Thursday night, and it was 20-year-old Sango's first visit to Rose Street. Although she was at the age where partaking in such activities was almost expected of her, Sango would have never visited such a place of her own accord. Yet there she was, dragged there by her friends when part of her just wanted to be at home watching dramas with her cat.

"Sangooo, hurry up! You're falling behind!" Chikoto whined, but she seemed to be the only one of the three friends who was stressed. Natsumi seemed unbothered, texting away on her phone, and Haruna was too occupied with reapplying her lip gloss.

"S-sorry!" _Sorry I'm more focused on not breaking my neck! _Sango was unaccustomed to wearing sky-high heels. She was definitely more of a flats girl, hence why she was stumbling around in the red-bottomed heels that she borrowed from Natsumi as if she were a newborn deer. The skintight designer dress and coat, also borrowed, felt like a costume. Never in a million years would Sango have pictured herself wearing such extravagant things. In a way, she felt like Cinderella on the way to a raunchy ball.

"Oh quit your pissing and moaning, Chikoto." Haruna said, putting her lip gloss away. She and Natsumi walked over to Sango and linked arms with her.

"Don't worry, we got you." Natsumi said with a bleach-white smile. Sango sighed in relief as her friends came to her aide, but that feeling faded quickly when she noticed a man slowly approaching her group. He was dressed rather smart, with a crisp, gray top and a navy blue necktie, as well as a black vest and black slacks. His hair was spiky, black, and blonde at the tips. A single diamond stud glimmered in his right earlobe. He could've fit right in with one of those Japanese pop boy bands, Sango thought.

"Hey there, why don't you ladies spend tonight with me and my friends?"

Chikoto's interest was piqued. She twisted a strand of her bleached, permed hair flirtatiously. "Oh? Are you a host or something?"

Boy Band smiled as if to confirm Chikoto's guess. He handed her a glossy flyer with the word 'Oasis' printed at the top in sparkly blue font. Underneath were about a dozen men who were as handsome and well-dressed as the one that stood in front of the girls. Haruna and Natsumi looked at the flyer over Chikoto's shoulders, smiling and pointing at the men they liked the most. Sango stood aside, uninterested. All she wanted was a girls' night out, not to be talked up by self-absorbed men. But the girls seemed to have fallen in love with Oasis before they even set foot inside.

"I'm Keisuke," Boy Band introduced himself with another flirtatious grin. "I'd love it if you all would give me the pleasure of your company this evening."

As soon as she and her group entered Oasis, Sango was assaulted with the smell of smoke, booze, and cologne mixed together. A hazy, lavender glow illuminated the club. There was a runway right in the center where presumably the hosts would make their entrances and exits. On either side of the runway were stairs that led to small tables and booths where the guests would sit. Sango noticed one table where a young woman was chugging down champagne straight from the bottle as if her life depended on it. Two hosts, along with a friend of hers, were cheering her on as the liquid dribbled from the sides of her mouth and onto her silk shirt. When she finally drained the bottle she looked like she was going to be sick, but she still waved her hand to motion that she wanted another. The two hosts applauded.

"Oh yeah, you've never been to a place like this before, have you Sango-chan?" Sango turned to see Natsumi looking at her with a pouty expression. This was nothing abnormal for Natsumi, just her typical resting face. "I just said that because you looked pretty disturbed just now." She put a hand on Sango's shoulder. "It's fun, Sango! Don't knock it 'til you try it!"

Once Keisuke had all of the girls seated, he presented them with a menu. But instead of food there were headshots and names of all of the hosts. The other girls took no time making their pick, but Sango was too disgusted to even look. _You'd think we were at Wacdonald's or something! _She thought. _What kind of men would allow themselves to be objectified in such a way?!_

'_Don't knock it 'til you try it!'_ Natsumi's voice echoed in Sango's head. As she peered at the menu, her eyes landed on an attractive man with short black hair and dark grey eyes. "Hey...Keisuke, was it?" Sango tapped a coral painted fingernail onto the grey-eyed man's portrait. "Can I have this one?" She winced a little at her own words, unable to believe that she was really ordering a man as if he were a drink at a bar.

When Keisuke looked to see who Sango was pointing at, he chuckled to himself as if he was in on some joke that she was clueless of. She hadn't even known this guy for 30 minutes, but he was already pissing her off. He stopped laughing abruptly when the two made eye contact. She wasn't doing a very good job of hiding her irritation. "Please excuse me, Miss." Keisuke bowed his head slightly in apology. "I just think the two of you will get along quite well." There it was again, that 'I know something you don't know' smile. "I'll be right back."

As Keisuke stood and walked away, Chikoto's eyes lingered on his back for just a little bit too long. "I'm going to get him to sleep with me." She announced with confidence. Haruna and Natsumi looked taken aback by her forwardness. Sango was indifferent. She thought her friend could do better, but aside from that she couldn't care less if Chikoto decided to fuck Boy Band.

"You can't do that, Chiko-chan!" said Natsumi. "Hosts aren't supposed to sleep with their clients, you know that."

"Yes I do know that. However, 'supposed to', is the operative phrase here."

"Oh look at you, Chikoto! I didn't know you knew a big word like that!"

Chikoto didn't appreciate Haruna's comment. She flipped up her middle finger and smiled at her sarcastically. "I'd like to see you get laid tonight with that dye job that I _begged_ you not to get. With that red hair it looks like someone's menstruated on you."

When Keisuke finally returned, three men accompanied him. Sango paid attention to none of them, except for one. The grey-eyed man she picked out earlier was now right before her. Keisuke must have told him beforehand that she was his client, because he immediately sat down next to her. "Good evening, Miss." The man pulled a red rose seemingly out of nowhere and presented it to Sango. "I'm Miroku. It's a pleasure to meet you."

So Chikoto was set up with her 'precious' Keisuke. Natsumi and her host looked eerily alike with their short, light brown hair and chubby faces; in Sango's opinion they could've been siblings. She suspected that Haruna's host was a fledgling. He was handsome enough, but he seemed to have little confidence. Sango had to admit to herself that she'd probably made the best choice out of all of her friends.

"So you said your name was Sango?" Miroku said, pouring a glass of wine with one hand. "I must say that is a beautiful name."

_Yeah, yeah, I'll bet you say that to every girl that walks in here. _"Thank you. I think that might be the first time anyone's complimented my name."

"Well there's a first time for everything I suppose!"

Sango took notice of the small gold hoops hanging from Miroku's ears. "Say, what is it with you hosts and wearing earrings? I mean, to each their own, but I think it's a rather effeminate fashion choice for men who are in the business of seducing women."

"Well, Miss Sango," Miroku took a sip from his glass and set it down gently. "As you just mentioned, it is my business to know exactly what entices women. I can assure you that most, if not all women can appreciate a man who will embrace a bit of femininity." He tugged at his earlobe. "Besides I'd say that wearing jewelry such as this is perfectly gender neutral, wouldn't you?"

"Uh, yeah I guess so." Sango's face gradually felt warmer and warmer. Was she getting buzzed from the wine, or was she actually being wooed by Miroku's charm? The sudden feeling of a hand on her thigh brought Sango out of her tipsy daze. Miroku pulled her closer to him, as he did so he hiked up her dress to the point where he was basically grabbing her ass.

"You know, you have really nice hips." The lecherous host said, keeping his hand on Sango's bum as if it were glued there. "They're perfect for making ki-"

"Who the _hell_ do you think you are?!" Sango shoved Miroku out of his seat and he fell to the floor with a thud. He didn't look angry or hurt, if anything he looked shocked. More than a few people took notice of what was happening, including Sango's friends. Keisuke, Natsumi's 'brother', and the fledgling were all laughing amongst themselves. Natsumi and Haruna looked totally lost, while Chikoto pleaded with Sango to apologize.

She probably felt as though Sango was trying to ruin her good time, but she hadn't seen what happened, none of them had. Sango had no reason to apologize to the creep. She hurriedly put on her coat, grabbed her purse and stepped out of the booth.

"Sorry pervert, but I'm not tipsy enough for all that." Sango grabbed her wine glass. "I think I'm done for tonight though. So here, you can have the rest." She poured what was left of the wine directly onto Miroku's head. Now angry and humiliated, Sango stormed out of Oasis as fast as she could without stumbling over. Luckily for her, there were cabs lined up just outside the building. She'd always thought taxis were overpriced, but at that moment Sango was willing to pay any sum to get away from Oasis and Rose Street as quickly as possible. She hopped into the nearest one and gave the driver instructions to take her to her apartment complex. During the ride Sango started to doze off, but was startled awake by the vibration of her cell phone in her purse. She pulled it out and read the name 'Natsumi' on the caller ID.

She figured her friends might have been concerned about her, she knew she should have answered the phone. But she really wasn't in the mood for talking to anyone. She hit the 'ignore' button and closed her eyes once again.

Back in the dressing room of Oasis, the host Miroku was wiping the sticky residue left behind by the wine from his face. He sighed as he took notice of the stains on his clothes.

_And this was a brand new shirt too...shit._ As he began to unbutton his shirt, someone loudly entered the dressing room.

"Heyyy, Cassanova! You givin' free stripteases now?" Keisuke barged into the dressing room, dropping his charming façade and turning into the obnoxious jerk that he was when women weren't around. Miroku and Keisuke started working at Oasis at the same time, and had been rivals ever since. So he was never surprised when Keisuke took advantage of an opportunity to be an asshole.

"Keisuke," Miroku took Keisuke by the hand and placed it on his bare chest. "I know how badly you want to do me, but I'm sorry. You're going to have to wait in line with everybody else."

Keisuke jerked back. "HA! Everyone else like who? That client of yours that just made you the laughing stock of the entire host club?"

Miroku had no witty response for that.

"Man, you're lucky her friends were nice enough to pay on her behalf after she ran outta here the way she did."

"Money isn't even what's on my mind right now." Miroku pulled on a clean white shirt, similar to the one he was wearing earlier. "I've never had any client react to me that way. They usually -"

"Love it?" Keisuke interrupted. "Well here's some insight, friend."

_I...don't recall asking for any, but okay._

Keisuke wrapped an arm around Miroku's shoulder. "The women who come here to see us aren't normal women. Normal women don't spend hundreds to thousands of dollars on champagne and men who only exist to fulfill a romantic fantasy. And normal women don't enjoy getting felt up by strangers that they just met. But sometimes those normal girls do come into our club, and you have to distinguish them from the girls who aren't normal. Now that girl you were with? You should've seen her when she first came in with her friends; she looked like she'd rather die than be in a place like this. She was a normal girl, and that's why you got a wine shower tonight."

'Normal girls'? What the hell was this guy talking about? Miroku thought every girl wanted physical affection. As long as he'd been in the business of seducing women, he thought he knew them like the back of his hand. But that girl Sango gave him one hell of a reality check.

"Well I guess I'd better get back out there. The ladies are waiting for me!" Keisuke awkwardly smacked Miroku on the ass. "Oh and by the way, you oughta put some more cologne on. You still kinda smell like wine." As his coworker finally left the dressing room, Miroku rolled his eyes.

"What a dick."

He thought about the girl Sango – her soft brown eyes, and her hair, such a dark brown that it almost looked black. He thought of how cute it was when her face flushed red from drinking. Even when she was pissed off she was cute. Even though he knew that she probably felt the exact opposite way, Miroku hoped to see her again.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Sango was woken by small, fuzzy paws patting around on her face.

"Ugh, Kirara..." she groaned, "I told you not to do that." The cat meowed, looking at her with false innocence.

Sango had fallen asleep watching a DVD the previous night. The music from the title menu was now playing in a monotonous loop. The clothes and shoes she'd worn the night before were strewn across the floor, as she'd been desperate to get the stench of the hosts' cologne off of her as soon as she got home. Her feet still hurt from walking around in heels all night, and her stomach felt queasy, not just from the liquor, but from the memory of that pig Miroku.

Kirara jumped in surprise as Sango's phone vibrated under her paws. She was quite afraid to see who it was – probably Natsumi, Haruna, or Chikoto, still pissed off about last night. But when Sango finally got the courage to look at the name, she sighed in relief and answered.

"Hey Kohaku, what's up?"

"Hey Nee-San, I, uh, just wanted to know if you were gonna come home." Even though he was already fifteen years old, Sango still had trouble getting over how mature her brother was starting to sound.

"I...wasn't planning on it, at least not anytime soon. Why?" Kohaku's long silence let Sango know that she messed up. "Kohaku...?"

"How could you forget that Mom's birthday is this weekend?"

Sango could feel her heart drop into her stomach. Her mother had passed on 10 years ago, and ever since then she, Kohaku, and her father would all come together on her mom's birthday to pray and to honor her memory. How _could_ she have totally forgotten about something so important? Maybe it was the fact that she was finally out trying to survive in the world, working while going to school. But that hardly seemed like an excuse.

"I'm sorry Kohaku, I don't think I'm gonna be able to get back home."

Silence settled over the phone again. "Well listen, make sure you at least light some incense over at your place, okay?"

"Of course, hey, how's Dad doing?"

"He's alright. Look, I gotta go, talk to you later, Nee-San."

_Click_

Sango's chest started to tighten. With the drama from the night before, forgetting her mom's birthday, and disappointing her little brother, she felt like garbage. Kirara nuzzled her face in an attempt to comfort her.

"You know what I just realized Kirara?"

The cat cocked her head to the side as if she were genuinely curious.

"I don't feel like being sober tonight."

That night, Sango made a trip to a bar that she heard was popular amongst the kids from her university. Her glamorous costume from the night before was gone and she now wore her usual biker jacket, jeans, and boots. The outside of the bar looked a bit sketchy, as did the inside, but at least it wasn't on Rose Street. She actually wasn't even sure she'd come to the right place. Inside, she saw few people her age. Most of the customers were older salary men, drowning the sorrow of their miserable 9-to-5's with booze. But quite frankly, Sango didn't care either way. She just wanted to get drunk as far away from pretty host boys as humanly possible. Unfortunately, she wasn't so lucky.

Not even a minute after Sango took her seat at the bar a familiar face entered and sat down right next to her.

"Well hello, it's a pleasure to meet you again." He lifted her hand to his lips, but Sango violently jerked away.

"Cut the crap, Boy Band, uh, Keisuke, whatever the fuck your name is. I'm not in the mood. Besides, you look like you're off the clock." Keisuke was dressed much more casually than he was the previous night – jeans and a tight-fitting t-shirt, but the diamond stud still glimmered in his ear.

"Well you see, Ms. Sango, that's why being a host is the perfect job for me. I love being in the company of beautiful women, whether I'm getting paid for it or not."

Sango rolled her eyes.

"You seem troubled."

"Oh please, I'm _not_ talking to you about my problems."

"Why don't I treat you to a drink?"

Keisuke totally rubbed Sango the wrong way since the moment she laid eyes on him. But she wasn't one to turn down a free drink, so she let him treat her to a shot. Then another shot...and _another_ shot.

Those few shots were all she needed to get nice and inebriated to the point where she could no longer feel the sting of the alcohol slipping down her throat. Empty shot glasses were lining up along the bar countertop in front of her, but the bartender didn't give a shit enough to cut her off. So Keisuke put down bill after bill in exchange for more booze.

"You know what...? I think...you're...trying to get me drunk!" The wasted Sango pointed at Keisuke in accusation.

"Wow, you're really a lightweight aren't you, Ms. Sango?" Keisuke laughed smugly.

"Fuck you! I'm not even _hic _drunk! I'm barely tipsy! I can hold my liquor so fucking well!" Sango leaned over and almost fell off of her stool. She steadied herself by holding onto the countertop.

Another familiar face walked through the entrance.

"Hey, what's this guy doing here?!"

Miroku went to sit down on Sango's left side, catching her as she almost fell out of her seat again. Her face was flushed red, and she felt very warm. Miroku wondered how much she'd had to drink. When he saw the cocky expression on Keisuke's face, he realized that he must have been nursing her liquor for quite some time.

"How much has she had to drink?" Miroku asked accusingly.

"Not enough, obviously," Keisuke chuckled. He touched Sango lightly on the knee. "You want another shot?"

"Fuck _yeah_!" She pumped her fist into the air.

"Oh no, you don't need anymore." Miroku was still holding onto her shoulders to steady her. Why did he feel so protective of this girl that probably hated him a lot more when she was sober?

"Now Miroku," Keisuke said condescendingly, "Sango is an adult and she's free to make her own choices."

Just as Miroku was about to go off on him, a hand covered his mouth.

"Shhh," Sango said as if she were trying to placate a child throwing a tantrum. She turned to Keisuke and did the same. "Listen you guys...I have something very, _very_ important to tell you. Before I take my next shot..." There was a melodramatic silence. "I have to pee. Whee!"

As Sango ran off, or rather, stumbled off to the bathroom, Keisuke ordered three more shots – one for each of them.

Miroku took his glass hesitantly. "And why are you being so nice tonight?"

"I think the better question is why are you questioning someone who's giving you free liquor? I'm feeling magnanimous today, how about you just enjoy it while it lasts?" Keisuke tried to subtly drop something into the drink that was meant for Sango – some type of tablet that was dissolving quickly. Miroku wasn't sure if Keisuke noticed that he saw what he did. Either way he was disgusted. He knew Keisuke was scum, but for some reason Miroku thought that he was above doing such a thing.

"Yo, Keisuke." Miroku slid over to sit close enough to him so that he could whisper. "Check the floor. I think you dropped your coke." As Keisuke started frantically looking around on the ground like someone who lost a contact lens, Miroku switched his drink with Sango's then went back to his seat.

"What're you talkin' about, man? It's still in my pocket." Keisuke stood up, brushing the dirt from his knees.

Miroku shrugged. "My bad, I thought I saw a little dime bag on the ground or something and figured it was yours. And if it wasn't, hey, you got some free blow. I'm just tryin' to look out for my favorite coworker." He winked.

"Oh, fucking bite me." Keisuke stuck up his middle finger and chugged his tainted drink. Miroku tried hard to keep a straight face.

"I'm back, bitches!" Sango gleefully announced as she finally returned from the bathroom. She tripped over her own feet and fell on the floor, laughing hysterically.

"Alright, that's enough." The bartender finally declared. "Listen, your girl is too fucked up. She ain't gotta go home but she's gotta get the hell outta here, understand?"

"Oh no sir you don't understand, she's not my girl. She..." Miroku cut himself off when he realized the bartender couldn't give a shit what their relationship was. He lifted Sango from the floor and wrapped one of her arms around his shoulders. "Keisuke, you got the tab, right?"

The debonair and flirtatious Keisuke was now a drooling vegetable; the effects of his own drug were kicking in.

"On second thought, you oughta get your other friend too." The bartender said with a grossed out look on his face.

"Sorry, I can't carry two wasted people by myself." Miroku shrugged. "He'll be alright."

Miroku hailed a cab and stuffed Sango and himself into the back seat. The inside smelled strongly of old leather and smoke. The driver was a scruffy looking guy with a lot of stubble and a cigarette hanging from his mouth. He wore huge sunglasses even though it was nearly midnight, which made him look a bit douchey. "Where am I takin' ya?" The driver asked.

"Just one moment, please." Miroku took Sango's wallet out of her pocket and searched through it hoping to find something with an address on it. He found her ID and handed it to the driver. "Please take me to that address."

"Are we gonna go party?! Let's go _party_!" Sango danced around wildly in her seat.

Miroku put both hands on her shoulders to settle her. "No, we're not going to party, we're taking you home!"

The sketchy-looking driver looked back at Sango, then to Miroku, and grinned, handing him back the ID. "Looks like you're gonna get lucky tonight, huh?"

"Uh...no sir, it's not like that at all."

The driver shifted gears and pulled off. "The apartments over by 9th? Got it."

"Hey, uh, are you alright?" Miroku noticed Sango was holding a hand to her stomach. She shook her head 'no' and started to dry heave.

"Oh no, no no no. The door, open the door!" Luckily the cab was stopped at a red light, so Sango took the opportunity to open the door and vomit all of her stomach's contents. When she was finished, she closed the car door and fell forward into the back of the driver's seat.

"Good thing ya girl didn't puke in the car, huh?" The cab driver said looking back at Miroku. He thought about correcting the man – letting him know that Sango was not his girl, and that he only told her to puke outside because he didn't want her to be covered in her own vomit, not because he gave a shit about this guy's cab. But he figured it wouldn't hurt to keep all of that to himself.

Finally they'd arrived at Sango's apartment complex. Miroku shoved the fare money into the driver's hand and hurried to get Sango out, not waiting for change.

"Hey hey, what's your rush, kid? Wait a second." The driver got his own wallet out and actually pulled out a condom and tossed it to Miroku. "You two make a cute couple, be safe." He winked.

Miroku managed to half-walk, half-drag Sango up three flights of stairs.

_What the hell kinda apartment building doesn't have an elevator?! _He thought as he huffed and puffed his way upward.

When he finally reached the apartment number that he saw on Sango's ID, he patted her pocket in search of a key and unlocked the door when he found it. Typically, the homes of the women he visited were immaculate, but apparently Sango was a bit of a slob. Shoes were scattered in the entrance, and the apartment was way too small for two people to be living there, so they all had to belong to Sango. Still remembering his manners, Miroku removed his own shoes and helped Sango remove hers.

Her bedroom wasn't any neater. The bed was unmade and clothes, cosmetics, and books were scattered everywhere. But at least it didn't smell bad.

Miroku removed Sango's jacket and laid her down onto her bed.

"Well, Ms. Sango, you're home safe now. I'll be leaving. I'll lock the door behind me."

"_No!_"

Sango grabbed hold of Miroku's wrist just as he was about to leave.

"Don't leave me here...I don't want to be alone...not right now...please." Much to Miroku's surprise, Sango actually started to cry.

With her sobbing like that, he couldn't just leave her alone. "No, don't cry! I'll stay, I promise!" This seemed to satisfy her. She laid back down and didn't get back up for the rest of the evening.

After checking to make sure the door was locked, Miroku grabbed a pillow from Sango's bed and made a spot on the floor for him to sleep. Just as he was about to lay down and shut his eyes, he decided to look at Sango one last time.

And there it was...the booty.

Miroku felt like he lost control of his hand as it slowly gravitated towards the sleeping Sango's behind. But then he noticed something on the other side of the bed – an altar. There was a photo of a smiling woman, with long brown hair similar to Sango's. Prayer beads hung from the picture frame, and there were ashes from burnt incense in front of it.

Even Miroku couldn't bring himself to be a lecher with a deceased person's altar in the room. So he laid down on the spot of the floor that he claimed and fell to sleep almost instantly. And that night, Sango's booty was safe.


	3. Chapter 3

The tantalizing smell of cooked eggs wafted into Sango's bedroom the next morning, stirring her awake. Her head throbbed in pain, like she'd been hit in the head with a hammer multiple times.

_Damn, I don't remember shit._

She turned onto her left side and came face to face with Kirara, who placed a paw on her forehead.

"Hey, I'm an adult. I don't need your judgment." Sango muttered. Kirara turned away as if she were offended, making sure to smack Sango in the face with her tail as she walked.

_I swear she's a person in a cat's body..._Sango thought, brushing her face.

The smell coming from the kitchen was becoming more enticing. Rumbling noises came from Sango's stomach and her mouth began to salivate.

_But wait...who's cooking breakfast?!_

She shot out of bed, but fell right back down again, still feeling a bit disoriented from the hangover. After she collected herself she powerwalked over to the kitchen to see the back of a shirtless man making eggs and rice.

"Good morning!"

When the man turned around and showed his face, Sango felt like she might puke – and not because of whatever amount of alcohol was still left in her system.

"I'll bet you're hungry!" Miroku said as if nothing was wrong. "Well you're in luck because I made omurice - perfect for hangovers!" He proudly displayed his creation, he even drew a smiley face out of ketchup on it, but Sango was less than pleased. She grabbed a nearby knife and started inching closer and closer to him.

"Whoa, whoa calm down there!"

"Why are you in my house? Why are you half-naked? Don't you know it's dangerous to cook without a shirt? Did you take advantage of me while I was drunk?" At this point, if Sango were to move one inch closer, she would've stabbed Miroku in the throat. But somehow he managed to remain calm.

"You...really don't remember a thing do you? I can explain, just...please don't stab me!" He said, a nervous drop of sweat rolling down his face.

Sango put the knife down on the table and put her hands in the air. "You have ten seconds."

"I took you back here last night because you were very intoxicated and I was afraid that you wouldn't get home safely otherwise. I was going to leave but you told me you didn't want to be alone and you started crying so I stayed and slept on the floor. I took off my shirt because I get warm very easily when I sleep." Miroku grinned. "Well, that, and my abs look amazing."

Of course, Sango couldn't remember doing or saying any of these things. She was embarrassed when she thought about how pitiful she must have looked pleading for Miroku to stay with her. She couldn't even bring herself to look him in the face.

"Listen...thanks for making sure I got home safe last night, and like, not groping my ass in my sleep or something."

Miroku thought back to the previous night when he'd come so close to grabbing the booty before he was stared down by the judging eyes of whoever was pictured on that altar, but he thought it just might be better to not bring it up at all.

"No problem. A host must always be a gentleman, whether he's on the clock or not." He winked.

Sango's obnoxiously loud ringtone could be heard all the way from her room. She wondered who in the world it could be.

"I'm gonna go get that." She said, walking backwards. "If you need to uh...wash your face, blow your nose, or something, bathroom's around the corner and to the right." She flashed two thumbs up, ran back to her bedroom and belly-flopped onto the bed to grab her phone.

"Hello?"

"Yo, Sango-chan!"

"Hey, Sango-chan!"

"Where the hell have you been? And for the love of god Haruna can you stop saying 'yo' every time someone answers the phone? You sound like such a man."

_Oh, of course. I should've known. _Haruna, Natsumi, and Chikoto had hit Sango with the four-way call.

"Listen you guys, I'm sorry I haven't been in touch since Thursday."

"We were so worried about you!" Sango could practically hear Natsumi making that pitiful pouty face.

"Oh I'm okay Natsu. Yesterday was just...rough, that's all." She sighed, looking at her mother's altar.

"Yeah, by 'we' she means herself and me. Chikoto didn't even care!"

"Shut the hell up, yes I did."

Sango laughed as she went to rummage through her storage closet to find a spare toothbrush for Miroku.

"Anyway," Haruna said, disregarding the offended Chikoto. "We wanted to ask you something. Well it'll just be me, since these bitches are too scared to ask for themselves."

"Hey!" Natsumi whined.

"Keep talking shit, Haruna. Just keep doin' it! Watch what happens the next time I see you!"

Sango shook her head. "You guys are crazy, hold on a second, okay?"

As she approached the bathroom, she heard a strange vibrating sound.

"Hey, I forgot to give you a toothbrush...what the hell?!"

Sango walked in only to find Miroku...with her vibrator on and in his hands. The sight of this pervert holding and being so fascinated by a phallic, purple stick of silicone would've been hilarious if it hadn't belonged to her.

"Seriously this is so cool! It lights up and everything!" When Miroku realized that Sango had caught him, his eyes widened like a deer caught in headlights and he tried to laugh it off.

"I was uh...looking for toothpaste?" He could practically see the flames of hell rising behind her.

"You've got ten seconds to get out my apartment." Sango said menacingly.

"Oh ok...can I still brush my teeth though?"

"TEN..."

Remembering how he almost got stabbed in the neck just a moment ago, Miroku was certain that nothing pleasant was waiting for him when Sango got to 'one'. He zipped past her, collected his shirt from the bedroom and got his shoes from the doorway.

"Thank you for the hospitality, Ms. Sango!" He called out.

When she heard the door slam behind him, Sango felt relieved. _Seriously, what the hell? _She thought. _Putting his hands all over it too...I know he knows where that goes!_

She almost forgot that she was still on the phone with her friends and cringed as she put the cell phone back up to her ear. "Hey guys, um...you didn't hear anything just now, did you?"

"We sure did." All three of them confessed at the same time.

_Fuck._

"Who was that, Sango-chan?"

"It sounded like a man."

"I'm so proud of you." Chikoto said sounding like a mom whose kid just graduated valedictorian.

"You all are jumping to conclusions, it was no one important." Sango wondered how they would react if they knew that it was really the host that she poured wine on the other night. "Anyway, what did you wanna ask me?"

"We're going back to Oasis tonight and we wanted to know if you'd come with." Haruna said, as straightforward as ever.

_You've got to be kidding me. _"You guys really liked that place, huh?" She said rubbing her temples. "I got work in a few hours. I dunno if I'm gonna feel up to it, I'm sorry."

"Pleaseee Sango-chan it's gonna be fun! Like it's gonna be so much more fun than last time!" Natsumi pleaded.

"What makes you say that?"

"It's a surprise!"

Sango had had enough host encounters to last her a lifetime. But she was a sucker who just couldn't say no to her friend's sweet voice. "Dammit Natsumi...alright, I'll go."

After work that evening, Sango met up with her friends at Chikoto's house to get ready. But even after she, Haruna, and Natsumi were all done up and ready to hit the streets, Chikoto was taking forever to finish up. She looked silly as she stared into the mirror open-mouthed while she tried to put on her false eyelashes.

"Goddamit, I forgot to put my colored contacts in." She stomped her foot in frustration. "Ugh, whatever I'm still cute without them."

"Think of it as the universe giving you a second chance." Haruna said, sipping from a flask that she hid in her purse. "Those contacts make you look like a demon or some shit."

"Oh, you talkin' shit again, Period Head?" Chikoto retorted, fluffing her hair.

"Just hurry up, would ya?"

"God, what's taking her so long?" Sango just wanted to get this night over with.

"I think she's trying to look extra nice just in case the guy she had last time is still there." Haruna said under her breath.

_Oh, so she's still riding that guy's dick, huh? _She thought, rolling her eyes.

"Alright, I'm ready!" Chikoto announced, strutting around in an incredibly short black sequined dress.

Haruna took another swig from her flask; at this rate she'd be tipsy before they even got to Oasis. "About damn time! You took so long Natsumi fell asleep!"

Surely enough, Natsumi was bundled up in Chikoto's hot pink comforter like a caterpillar in a cocoon. Even though her mouth hung open unattractively and drool streaked on the side of her mouth, she still looked rather cute.

"Alright we'll just leave her ass then. Let's get the hell outta here."

Minus one person, the girls set foot on Rose Street once again. Just like last time there a host standing a few feet away from the entrance of Oasis, trying to find women who looked like they had a lot of money to waste. It wasn't Boy Band this time; some younger guy who looked like he was fresh out of high school had replaced him. He was pretty easy on the eyes, with slightly tanned skin and black hair that was so long it fell to his waist, but he didn't exude nearly as much confidence as Keisuke. With his eyes cast down and his arms folded across his chest he actually looked quite miserable, and cold, seeing as he didn't have a shirt.

"What's with that guy?" Sango said, nudging Haruna. "It's not that warm outside."

"Don't worry about it." Haruna said, hitting her on the shoulder harder than she probably intended. Whatever was in that flask sure was getting her real loose. "You'll see why he's like that in a second."

The doors of Oasis were covered with flyers that read – _Shirtless Night! This weekend, your favorite hosts are hotter than ever! Also, a new host will be making his debut!_

"Are they serious?" Sango said as Haruna and Chikoto dragged her through the doors. "Isn't this place supposed to be classy?"

"Oh Sango," Chikoto said with a condescending tone, "Just because this is a place for people with money, that doesn't mean that it's 'classy', it's just fun. " She pulled the top of her dress up so that she wouldn't 'spill out'. "Besides, I know you saw that girl last time that was practically deep throating a bottle of champagne. I think you'd agree - that wasn't too classy."

Sango shuddered as she recalled how sick the girl from the other night looked. Had she been looking into her own future? Sure she wasn't too thrilled about host clubs now, but she heard the stories, the stories of women who came on a whim only to become addicted to the culture. Then they'd rack up a debt so high that they could only repay it by selling their bodies.

Or was she just letting her imagination get the best of her?

The host in front told them to sit wherever they like. Chikoto and Haruna left it up to Sango to decide, but seeing as she really didn't care either way, she just chose the same spot where they sat last time.

The club music that played through the speakers was getting lower and lower. A parade of shirtless hosts walked out onto the main stage, followed by a man with a shaved head wearing an expensive-looking suit. He looked like he could've been part of the yakuza.

"Good evening, ladies!" The man said in a booming voice that projected throughout the entire club. "My name is Honda and I am the proud owner of this establishment that you all know as _Oasis_!" All of the hosts behind him started whooping and hollering. "I'm glad that you've decided to join us tonight because we've got some special stuff happening! First off..." Honda signaled to one of the hosts behind him to stand next to him – it was none other than the guy who'd been standing outside earlier. "Please welcome our newest host – Inuyasha!"

"That's an interesting name." Chikoto said, politely giving applause.

"Yeah, he's cute though!" Haruna agreed.

Sango couldn't help but notice that Inuyasha looked like he'd rather be anywhere else in the world but on that stage. He gave a half-assed wave to the girls who were cheering for him, and gave what was supposed to be a smile, but looked more like a grimace of pain.

"Don't mind him, he's a bit shy, you know, first night and all that." Honda said, shooing Inuyasha back to his spot in line. "Now, for our main event – your favorite hosts will be participating in a little drinking game that I like to call, Fire Eater!"

Two men wearing all black entered from either side of the stage, carrying trays of shot glasses with liquor that each had a blue flame sitting on the very top.

"This is a contest to see who can down the most flaming shots without wimping out." A few gasps could be heard in the audience. "But don't worry, ladies! This has been done before, it's perfectly safe! Besides, all of our hosts signed waivers beforehand."

Of all people, it was Miroku who was first up to take a shot. Sango secretly wished that he'd mess up and catch on fire.

_Not his whole body or anything, _she thought, _but like if he accidentally spilled it and his crotch caught on fire or something._

Unfortunately for her, Miroku drank the shot with no harm done. Next up was Inuyasha. Everyone was worried about the rookie and cheered for him, even the other hosts. But out of all of them Inuyasha was the least concerned. He downed the shot in one second and shrugged like it was no big deal.

The next one up was a host named Shuu, who Sango recognized as Natsumi's 'twin' from the other night. He tentatively picked up a glass from the tray and held it in his hand for a long time. It looked like his hand was shaking a bit.

Keisuke, who stood next to Shuu, looked like he was getting a bit impatient. "If you're gonna be a little bitch about it, how about we just skip your turn, huh?" He took Shuu's shot glass and grabbed another one of his own, and then he tried to be a showoff by tossing both drinks into his mouth at once. Of course, he caught on fire.

Fortunately for him there was a fire extinguisher nearby and one of the men in black saved Keisuke from turning into a piece of charcoal. Still, Honda and all the other hosts, even Shuu who Keisuke tried to humiliate, were all panicked and tried to get Keisuke offstage – all of them except for Miroku and Inuyasha. Miroku was hardly trying to hold back his laughter while Inuyasha just looked indifferent. But it was a bit awkward that they were now the only ones standing onstage.

"We are so sorry for this little mishap, everyone!" Miroku said, trying to play damage control. "As soon as we know that our friend is safe, we'll get back to our regular schedule!"

Haruna was cackling while Chikoto looked traumatized. "That wasn't funny!" She said.

"Oh yes it was. Come on, it was a little funny, wasn't it Sango?"

Sango shrugged her shoulders indifferently. Even though she really thought it was hilarious and that pompous asshole got what was coming to him.

"Whatever, I'm gonna go to the bathroom."

When Chikoto left, Miroku walked over and slid into her spot. "I'll keep the seat warm for her!" He waved over to Inuyasha, who rolled his eyes and followed suit. When he sat down, Haruna bombarded him with compliments.

"Whoa, your hair's so shiny and long, and you have like, no split ends! Please tell me what shampoo you use!"

"Eh, nothin' fancy." He shrugged. "Just your regular cheap ass shampoo from the 99-yen store."

Haruna nodded in amazement.

"Anyway, I'm sorry you had to watch that disaster happen." Miroku said

"First of all you don't seem even remotely sorry," Sango said, noticing Miroku's smirk. "Second of all, I'm having a hard time believing that you came over here just to apologize to us, specifically. So what do you want?"

He didn't beat around the bush, "I want you to go on a date with me."

Haruna squealed like a little schoolgirl.

"Well damn, you're straightforward, aren't you?" Inuyasha said, scratching his ear.

"Obviously I'm no expert on host etiquette but, something tells me what you're proposing is a little unprofessional."

"Oh Ms. Sango, I don't need you to worry about my integrity." He reached over and grabbed Sango's hand. Haruna could barely contain herself. "I need for you to say yes."

Sango weighed the pros and cons in her head. On one hand, Miroku was kind of a pervert and he could be a bit too 'friendly' with his hands. On the other hand, he did take care of her while she was in a state where she couldn't take care of herself. Plus, he was charismatic...and cute.

"Alright," Sango said throwing her hands up in defeat. "You got me, you got a date."


End file.
